winning

American  

[win-ing] / ˈwɪn ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that wins.

   Antonyms:

   losing

2. Usually winnings something that is won, especially money.

3. Mining.

   1. any opening by which coal is being or has been extracted.

   2. a bed of coal ready for mining.

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adjective

1. that wins; successful or victorious, as in a contest.

   the winning team.

   Antonyms:

   losing

2. charming; engaging; pleasing.

   a winning child; a winning smile.

   Synonyms:

   winsome, attractive

   Antonyms:

   repulsive

winning British  

/ ˈwɪnɪŋ /

adjective

1. (of a person, character, etc) charming, engaging, or attractive

   winning ways

   a winning smile

2. gaining victory

   the winning stroke

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noun

1. 1. a shaft or seam of coal

   2. the extraction of coal or ore from the ground

2. (plural) money, prizes, or valuables won, esp in gambling

Other Word Forms

• unwinning
  adjective
• winningly
  adverb
• winningness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of winning

1250–1300; Middle English (noun); see win ¹, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Pep Guardiola's great mentor and inspiration Johan Cruyff once said: "Winning is an important thing, but to have your own style, to have people copy you, to admire you... this is the greatest gift."

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Winning the FA Cup would turn down the noise, secure European qualification and offer bragging rights - but many of the deeper cracks will likely take years to fix.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Winning this best-of-seven series against the Thunder was already an impossible dream.

From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026

Winning, at least in the legal sense, doesn’t appear to be Musk’s main goal.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2026

Winning the contest was my one chance of escaping the stacks.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• leading
• successful
• victorious